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Dark Heart (episode)
"Dark Heart" is the tenth episode of . It originally aired on December 11, 2004. Plot In Nevada, two rock climbers are scaling a mesa only to discover the Dark Heart, an alien construct capable or rapidly converting raw matter into attack robots. With General Wade Eiling in command, the United States Army arrives to try to keep the alien robots from overrunning the region. The army does what it can but their weapons are useless against the alien threat. The Justice League is called in and Batman determines the aliens consume matter and reproduce then spread further. Batman uses a ice-bomb to freeze the structure but the League itself fails to stop the escaping aliens. To buy time, J'onn tells the League and Army forces to pull back, clearing the area for the Watchtower's "binary fusion generator" - an energy cannon "with the punch of a small nuclear weapon.." The cannon fires, digging a trench around the mesa to halt the aliens' advance, buying time to evacuate a nearby town. Superman discovers that someone will need to get into the alien structure and destroy the dark heart that is pumping it. Superman travels to Boston to retrieve The Atom, who is studying a rogue nanite. Superman tells him that he must shrink down to microscopic size and destroy the Dark Heart. The two of them travel back to Nevada and Superman hands The Atom to Wonder Woman, who will take him to the structure. The other League members attempt to hold off the aliens, giving Wonder Woman and the Atom some space. They finally arrive at the structure and The Atom shrinks down and goes inside it. He accesses its memory and determines it's a programmed war machine that never was told its war is over. He finds the Dark Heart and attempts to destroy it by just punching it but that fails. He realizes that by interrupting the bloodflow throughout construct, he can stop the Dark Heart from operating. The idea works and the Dark Heart is neutralized moments before the Justice League is overrun. The Structure terminally ruptures, the drones shut down, and the Atom is able to make it out alive. The Army takes the structure away, possibly for use against the League now they're aware the superheroes have an orbital weapon in the Watchtower. Atom fears that if Eiling tries to reactivate it, it will destroy everything on Earth, just as it destroyed its creators. When Atom asks what could stop history from repeating itself, Superman assures him that they'll stop it. Continuity * This episode reveals the existence of the Watchtower's orbital cannon. * First appearance of General Eiling. In the subsequent episode "The Doomsday Sanction," he is shown to be working for Project Cadmus. * The remains of the Dark Heart re-appear in "Divided We Fall." Background Information Trivia * Eiling announces himself as United States Air Force ("USAF"), but appears to wear an Army uniform. * In the comics, General Wade Eiling first appeared in Captain Atom Vol. 3 #1 (March 1987) as one of the chief manipulators in the Captain Atom project. Through his career he has dealt with metahumans on several occasions from helping the newly formed Justice League fight the Appelexian aliens, to working with Amanda Waller and the Suicide Squad, to helping Captain Atom, Maxwell Lord and Amanda during the Invasion! event. Dying of cancer and obsessed with power, Eiling eventually had his brain transplanted into the body of one of the few foes the League never managed to outright defeat - the perpetually-regenerating super-strong Shaggy Man. Shaving his entire body and dubbing himself simply "The General" (and looking not a little like Marvel's Hulk), Eiling joined up with Lex Luthor in the second incarnation of the Injustice Gang and has appeared sporadically since then fighting various heroes. This is his first appearance in the WB animated universe. * The voice of the Army officer commanding the initial response team is uncredited, but is likely Michael Beach, who voices Devil Ray and Mr. Terrific. Cast Uncredited Appearances * Aquaman * Atom Smasher * Aztek * Black Canary * Blue Devil * Booster Gold * Captain Atom * Commander Steel * Crimson Avenger * Crimson Fox * Dr. Fate * Dr. Light * Dr. Mid-Nite * Elongated Man * Fire * Green Arrow * Green Lantern * Gypsy * Hawk * Hourman * Huntress * Ice * Nemesis * Obsidian * Red Tornado * Rocket Red * Shining Knight (and his steed, Winged Victory) * Stargirl * Starman * Steel * STRIPE * Supergirl * The Ray * Vibe * Vigilante * Vixen Category:Justice League Unlimited episodes